Means of defense



0. v. HARGBAVE. MEANS OF DEFENSE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23, 1920- I Patented June 14, 1921 attbvniy OSCAR V. HARGRAVE, F, MALDEN', MASSACHUSETTS.

MEANS OF DEFENSE.

Specification iaf Letters Patent. Patented June 14, 1921.

Application filed August 23, 1920. Serial No. 405,505.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR V. HARGRAVE,

' a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofthe city of Malden, in the county of Middlesex, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means of Defense, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact specificationen a person is traveling, either on foot or in a public conveyance, he is exceedingly helpless against the unexpected demand of a highwayman. He can make no move toward drawin a weaponin the eye of the man who hafiiim already covered by a gun.

The object pistol, so disposed that while a person has hold of its handle he can engage, a finger with a small ring and by a slight pull thereon can discharge the pistol through a hole ing the handle,

in the end of the grip, and if the latter has been casually swung around toward the highwayman, the miscreant will be either shot or frightened away. In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side sectional view of a part of a dress suit case provided with my means of self defense. a sectional elevation of the same lookin at the muzzle-end of the pistol. Fig. 3 1s a perspective view on a smaller scale showing the suitcase being carried. I

At one end of a suit case 1, preferably close beneath its top 2 is formed a box' 3 provided with a hinged cover 4. Within this box is secured a fire arm 5, of well known form disposed to aim straight forward and to shoot through a hole 6.

For enabling the pistol to be fired at will,

,a ring 7 is located beneath the handle 9 of the suit case 1, in a position to be easily entered by the forefinger of the hand graspthis ring bein suitably connected with the trigger 10 0% the pistol so that when pulled the pistol will be fired.

The manner in which this ring is connect-' ed with the trigger, as illustrated,.,consists of a bell-crank lever 11 pivotallysupported of this invention is the constructionof a means of self defense which Fig. 2 is,

fastened at '12 and having its arm 13 provided with a lug or roll 14 immediately'in front of the trigger 10, the long arm 11 of the lever being attached to a stem 15 depending from the ring 7.

Hence, when the ring 7 is pulled upward, the trigger 10 is drawn back and the pistol discharged. v

I do not, however, restrict myself to the form of firearm selected for illustration, nor tothe precise method of its discharge.

The hole 6 is normally covered by means of a flap 16 having a hole 17, and a section of elastic fabric,19 which. permits the flap to be drawn upward for presenting its hole 17 in line with the hole 6; the flap being. temporarily secured in this position by means of a projection 20 upon which the flap is impaled. When released from this projection, the elastic section 19 draws the hole .17 down below the hole 6 and thereby conceals the latter, an eye 21 through which the flap slides serving to retain the flap in I place on the top of the case.

This means-of protection is used as fol lows: If the owner is walking upon the street at a time when he may suddenly re'-' quire protection, he carries the luggage 1 at his side in a customary manner, his hand graspingthe handle 9 and, if thought necessary, with his finger touchingthe ring 7. He has previously pulled'up and fastened the flap 16 to present the holes 6 and 17 in line, in order to be ready for contingencies.

If, now, a foot-pad or other dangerous character suddenly appears and threatens his life, he simply introduces his finger-in the ring 7, directs the suit case toward the miscreants legs,

- In case the owner of the suitcase is traveling on a stage coach in a hold-up section of the country, he will hold the case in his lap directed toward the most probable source of danger, with the handle 9 conveniently located. Then if a hold-up occurs, he .can shift the suit-case to aim at .the bandit and discharge the pisto i 'WhatI-claim is;

1. A suit case having a handle and a hole through one end of it, a box fixed within said suit case adjacent said hole, a pistol.

within said box aiming toward said hole, a. bell crank lever pivotally supported within said box andhaving a projection engaging the trigger of said pistol, and an and pulls upon'the ring.

v hand bag for firing the fire-arm,

operating member outside of the suit case beneath said handle connected with said 1ever fer firing said pistol.

2. A hand bag having a hole at one point, a fire-arm positioned in said handbag to fire through said hole, means exterior to the and a flap having a hole through it, an elastic member attached to said. flap and to the hand bag 10 acting normally to draw the flap to a place OSCAR V'HARGRAVE. 

